1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to accessories for transport vehicles, and more particularly, to a clamping assembly for attaching shelving, inventory systems, and other structurally related storage systems, such as closets, cabinets, dressers, desks, drawers, darkrooms, worktables, and wardrobes to internal wall support members that are conventional, integral parts of the walls of most medium to large cargo vehicles. The clamping assembly provides firm mounting of the shelving and other storage systems and ready detachment thereof, without in any way marring or disfiguring the wall support members of cargo vehicles within which the systems are temporarily installed.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
The instant invention provides for the firm attachment of a storage system within a cargo vehicle, such as a moving van, or work truck for a production company, without need for drilling holes, cutting through walls or wall members, or in any way marring or damaging the vehicle cargo carrying interior. Thus, use of this invention is particularly advantageous when leasing a moving van or the like for a period of time, to convey freight (e.g., movie sets and related gear) back and forth from place to place, or operate as a production vehicle, and then relinquish the vehicle at the end of the lease without having damaged the cargo carrying interior at all; the shelving, storage, and associated clamping assemblies of this invention are as easily removed as they are installed. In short, the invention has universal application, in the film, television, and commercial industries as well as for general freight hauling in the industrial and moving company markets.
The known prior art teaches somewhat related shelving assemblies, or clamping structures, or both, as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,158,503, issued May 16, 1939 to Frank B. Hewel, discloses a shelving system for delivery vehicles that allows easy and quick access to a plurality of shelves while minimizing the amount of sliding, adjusting, or removing of the shelves required to accomplish such an action. The shelving system utilized here comprises a plurality of flat planar surfaces, hingedly attached to one another, and to the interior walls of the vehicle, extend inwardly towards the center of the vehicle, whereby, after the center shelves are moved from a non-supporting vertical disposition to their useful, shelf-like horizontal position, a small number of vertically disposed planar members are introduced thereto, so as to keep the products in the vehicle from moving about during transport. Although the Hewel structure is somewhat similar, with respect to the utilization of horizontal members of the vehicle cargo walls to support the shelving units within the vehicle, the structural differences and manner in which the shelving is connected to the interior of the vehicle are vastly different; the system of Hewel requires permanent alteration to the interior of the vehicle, which is avoided with the utilization of the present invention. Use of the Hewel system in a leased vehicle would not be economically feasible or even possible.
U.S Pat. No. 2,826,108, issued Mar. 11, 1958 to Edward L. Mills, teaches a lipped, washer type nut fastener assembly, remotely similar to the L-shaped member of the present invention in regards to physical construction, but not having any utility in the environment of the instant invention. Furthermore, the multi-part fastener assembly of Mills cannot be utilized in and of itself as a means of fastening a threaded member to a supporting surface without the aid of a threaded nut.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,073, issued to Carl E. Gingher et al. on Apr. 20, 1969, discloses a modular shelving unit of an adjustable nature, having vertically disposed support members with holes drilled therein to accept the adjusters of the shelving platforms that are incorporated within the unit. Although these vertical members are remotely similar in structure to those utilized in the present invention, no means of attaching such a unit to the walls of a vehicle using these members, or any other member of the unit, is taught.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,747, issued to Roger D. Ratliff on Dec. 2, 1980, discloses a transport vehicle having a variety of features making it a versatile transport vehicle. Although a removable shelving unit is an essential feature of one of the three cargo areas disclosed, no manner of attaching the shelving in a temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent fashion is disclosed.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,654, issued to Graham L. Martin et al. on Jul. 26, 1988, discloses a three part clamping device for holding a grid-like member to a rigid I-beam or the like, rather than an uncomplicated, two part clamping assembly as herein disclosed and claimed. The clamping device of Martin et al. includes an L-shaped clamping member with a plurality of geometrical cutouts for non-rotational contact between the clamping member and the rigid structure. Features on the heads at the ends of the lever-arm portions of the L-shaped members help to secure the grid-like member to the I-beam through centralized pressure on the shaped portions of the member. Also seen on this L-shaped member is a tapered, threaded hole used to accept a threaded bolt or the like to secure the clamp. Although this arrangement appears somewhat similar to the present invention, the threaded hole therein is placed in the center of the long side of the L-shaped member between the shaped end of the member and the right angle of bend of the member itself, whereas the present invention utilizes a cantilever-type grip to secure the shelving unit to the wall member. The present invention is further distinguished in that the threaded hole is located in a substantially different location of the member, that is, adjacent to the right angle bend of the member.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the present invention as claimed.